Talk:J. C. McConnell

James or John?
Like typical 19th century professionals, McConnell was routinely known by his initials, “J.C. McConnell.” There are conflicting records on his first name. Some sources give “James,” such as Eugene V. Coan, Alan R. Kabat & Richard E. Petit, 2,400 years of Malacology, 6th ed., American Malacological Society, 2009, and Synopsis of the Weasels of North America, 1896. Another contemporary work, North American Fauna (1900) states "James". Other (non contemporary) works, however, give “John.”  R. Tucker Abbott, for example,  in the Preface to his 1954 edition of American Seashells, p. viii, called him “John,”  as does Ellis Leon Yochelson in Charles Doolittle Walcott, paleontologist (1998), p. 156.

Since the only contemporary sources I have located with a full name and not initials both use "James", it's likely correct, and the 2,400 years of Malacology would seem to be authorative. For these reasons, I'm going with "James" and assuming that Abbott slipped here. Ecphora (talk) 22:54, 8 August 2009 (UTC)